title: No substitute for experience: do consultants that have been practising for longer lead faster post-take medical ward rounds?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain whether consultants that have been practising for longer lead faster post-take medical ward rounds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-centre observational study of nine consultant physicians at morning post-take medical ward rounds at a district general hospital in the North West of London.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were gathered from 25 post-take medical ward rounds. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that less time is spent per patient when consultants have been practising for longer (p<0.01), or have spent more time on the specialist register (p<0.01), with no discernible relation to the outcomes for the patients seen. This time is further reduced when a greater number of patients are seen on the ward round.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More experienced consultant physicians conduct faster post-take medical ward rounds.
authors.affiliation: Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0HS, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gaunt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamdulay
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D006801:Humans; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D056164:Teaching Rounds / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors